How to Land Your First Job

In general, young people start looking for jobs right after they graduate. However, there is no one-size-fits-all response regarding when you should apply and get your first job. The timing of your job search is highly dependent on your unique circumstances. As you look for your first employment, it is critical to consider your career goals and the industry you want to be part of. Nonetheless, if you want to start searching for potential jobs as soon as you can, sending out applications one to three months before graduating is a good idea.

If you are wondering if it’s okay to apply for jobs before earning your degree, the simple answer is yes. Companies are always on the lookout for rising talents. Many of them are often willing to hire candidates a few months before graduation and onboard them once they officially graduate. As a matter of fact, this is part of some companies’ recruitment process to attract the best and brightest talents amongst the graduates. So, make sure to prepare yourself to maximise your chances of getting your first desirable role.

Having a good understanding of how to get your first job is a critical step toward building a fulfilling professional career. While it won’t be an overnight success, these tips and tricks we’ve listed can help set you on the right path to finding and landing a rewarding job.

1. Identify your industry and role

As a first-time, full-time job seeker, it can be confusing what type of industry and role to pursue. In such a case, start with self-reflection. Sit down and make a list of all your existing skill sets, strengths, and unique characteristics that you think will be valuable. Then, try to remember any past experiences where you added value by putting these skills and attributes to use. This can include project, academic, or student work experience gained during your studies. Doing so can help you recognise your interests and what you’re capable of doing.

The next step? Do some research. Take advantage of some popular job search sites, like Glassdoor, to explore potential jobs you might be interested in. Review the job requirements and descriptions to ensure they fit your skills, interests, and educational background. You can also check out companies to determine if you are suited to the role and work environment you are applying for. Keep in mind that your first job will serve as your stepping stone to achieving your career goals. So, blindly applying to jobs and companies that don’t suit you won’t do any favour.

2. Draft best-practice career documents

Your career documents are the best tools to promote yourself to potential employers. However, writing an attractive CV and cover letter and building an impressive LinkedIn profile can be a bit challenging if you have minimal to zero professional experience to showcase. So, here is a guide you can use in creating your best-practice career documents to kick start your job search. 

a. CV

It may be a struggle to create a CV when you don’t have anything to write about. However, this shouldn’t stop you from writing one to land your first job. To gain a competitive edge over other candidates, even if you have little or no industry-related background, highlight the skills that are most relevant to your target position. Read the job description thoroughly to determine what these skills and qualifications are. Then, aside from adding a skills section, incorporate them throughout your CV, including the professional summary and work experience section. These will also serve as keywords that employers typically look for to see if you’re a perfect fit for the role.

In addition, you can consider adding any relevant experience or extracurricular activities that allow you to hone your skills or learn new ones that apply to the job. This can be volunteer work, part-time gigs, social services, or a leadership role with a student organisation. This can help you showcase that you have what it takes to perform the job at hand and succeed in the role.

b. Cover Letter

Similar to writing a CV, creating a tailored cover letter can be frustrating if you have no related work experience. However, it is still doable. Because other than a candidate’s professional background, employers value soft skills, as these are valuable in most roles. So, it is important to emphasise the soft and transferable skills you gained from your education and other relevant experience like volunteering. Then, explain how these skills can be beneficial to them. You can also convey your passion and willingness to learn more skills if hired. This way, you can be perceived as someone genuinely committed to the position.

c. LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is another good way to showcase what you have to offer and gain notice from potential employers. You can create a profile while still in school and build it from there to make it more impressive. But isn’t it tough to impress without any direct work experience? Not at all, actually. All you have to do is highlight a few key things – your education, passion, enthusiasm, and soft skills. Make sure to also include all activities you did in the past that can be valuable to your job search. Here are some additional tips for developing an attractive LinkedIn profile and building your personal brand.

• Add a professional headshot as your profile photo. Make sure it is a current and high-resolution image.
• Write a catchy LinkedIn headline. State how you can contribute to employers.
• Use the About section to summarise who you are and what you can bring to the table. This is also where you can showcase your passion and enthusiasm for what you do.
• Take advantage of the Experience and Volunteer Work sections to include relevant activities. 
• Add up to 50 skills to the Skills & Endorsement section to boost your searchability. Make your profile keyword rich.
• Ask for recommendations.
• Keep your profile active by posting status updates, sharing relevant articles, or adding insightful comments.
• Join groups within your areas of interest

3. Send out applications on job boards

One effective way to maximise your job search success rate is to send out as many relevant applications as possible using job boards. While there are a variety of job boards to choose from, Glassdoor is one of the most popular ones out there. To jump-start your job search, you need to create a Glassdoor profile. This will give you full access to various site features, including its job search engine, salary calculator, company reviews section, and career guides. You can also save jobs for later applications and create job alerts to get updated with the latest job posting. Ultimately, you’ll have the opportunity to upload your CV, allowing you to easily apply for jobs with just a few clicks.

4. Prepare well for employer assessments

Employers use assessments to improve the quality of their hires. These tools help them assess whether you will be a good cultural or team fit, have an aptitude for specific work, or possess the skills, knowledge, work style, or personality traits necessary to succeed in the role. During your assessment, you may be confronted with different components such as the following:

• Assessment tests
• Role-plays and practical simulations
• Group exercises and assignments
• Interviews

Here are some general tips to help you prepare for and nail your assessment rounds:

• Do your research to find out all you can about the different components of assessments. Knowing what to expect is key to nailing your assessments.
• Research the company to have a better understanding of its mission, culture, and core values.
• Learn what your role entails. Go through the job descriptions and take note of the key competencies and attributes required.
• Practice by taking free online tests.
• If a presentation is required, prepare it in advance if possible. If the details are given in advance, use this opportunity to perfect your content and presentation style.
• Be the best version of yourself. Showing a positive attitude and your personable nature can go a long way to making you a standout candidate.

5. Show up in your interviews fully prepared

Landing an interview doesn’t mean that it will be smooth sailing from there. So, never ever attend one unprepared. With the internet, there are a lot of resources at your fingertips that can help you walk into that interview confident and ready. So, again, do your research. Be prepared and know exactly what position you’re interviewing for and what the company does. Search some of the common interview questions so you can practice how to answer them. Then, prepare some questions you would like to ask the interviewer. Asking questions in your interview will show employers your enthusiasm about joining the company and that you know exactly what you are looking for in a job. Here are some additional tips:

• Dress appropriately. Align your attire with the company culture.
• Be punctual and arrive on time.
• Be aware of your body language and tone of voice during the interview. Make sure to show confidence in your actions.

6. Evaluate your offers

Congratulations! You’ve been just offered your first full-time job. But before you accept it, it is important to take some time to review the details. Does it align with what you are expecting? Does it include everything discussed during the job interview (e.g., salary, perks, and benefits)? If you need more time to review and think, make sure to ask for it. If you’re not satisfied with the offer, be prepared to negotiate. And once you’ve decided to formally accept the offer, make sure to structure a proper job offer acceptance letter or email and express your gratitude.